Spring-motor fan.



L. LEFEBVRE. SPRING MOTOR FAN. APPLIUATION FILED Nov. s, 1909.

1,002,065. PatentedAug-29, 1911.

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OFFICE.

LOUIS LEFEBVRE, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO JAMES A.BUCHANAN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

SPRING-MOTOR FAN.

To all whom Lt may concern:

Be it known that I, Louis LEFEBVRE, citizen of the United States,residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Spring-Motor Fans, ofwhich the following is a specification.

My invention relates to spring motor fans and the chief objects of theimprovement-s which constitute the subject matter of this applicationfor patent are :-to provide a simple and effective spring operatedmechanism for a rotary fan, and to furnish a friction drive for the fanspindle in order to produce a smooth and noiseless action, one of thegears being constructed with a comparatively heavy rim so that it willhave the governing function of4 a fiy wheel, thus producing a steady andeven movement of the ent-ire train of gears.

Other objects of the invention are, to supply a protective casing forthe motor parts that may be supported upon a table or other horizontalsurface where it will be maintained upright by its own weight; tofurnish means whereby the device may be removably attached to a bracketsecured to a wall or other vertical support, and to provide eX- tensionshafts and supports and friction gearing for imparting motion to a fanwhen suspended from the ceiling of the room, the spindle for the fanbeing made adjustable to facilitate this arrangement.

A further object is to furnish means for regulating the speed of themotor, or stopping its movement entirely.

The advantages principally to be desired from the employment of myimproved motor fan will be found in the ease with which it may be movedfrom place to place and thus readily located at any point where needed,and the opportunity which is afforded by the attaching flanges to usethe same appliance for running a fan pendant from the wall or ceiling.The economy in the application of a manually operated mechanism forstoring power is an important feature, and the fact that the portabilityof the machine will permit of its extended use without the inconvenienceof being dependent upon ordinary prime movers for supplying power, suchas electrical and other motors and engines which are not everywhereavailable.

Patented Aug. 29, 1911.

Serial No. 526,156.

I accomplish the desired objects by means of the apparatus illustratedin the accompanying drawing which forms a part of this application, theimportant details of construction being disclosed in the followingviews.

Figure 1 is a vertical median section of my improved spring motor,showing the manner of attaching the casing to a wall; Fig. 2 is a rearelevation showing the appa.- ratus supported in operative position upona table; Fig. 3 is a front elevati-on of the wall bracket for supportingthe casing; Fig. 4L is a view of the inner side of the brake devicedetached from the main casing, and Fig. 5 is a fragmentary view showingthe extension attachments and supports.

Referring to the details of the drawing, the numeral 10 indicates acylindrical casing supported on a standard 11, which in turn rests upona base 12, adapted to rest upon a table -or other similar support. Thisbase may be cast solid or weighted with lead in the usual manner, togive it stability, and is supplied with holes 13 for the passage ofsecuring screws or bolts, by means of which the apparatus can be firmlyfastened to a support, this being desirable when an unusually strongmotor spring is employed in order to resist the force applied in windingup the main spring.

The easing 10 constitutes a spring box in which is arranged a coiledfiat spring 14 `of the type known as clock springs, attached at itsinner end to a hollow shaft or sleeve 15, while its outer end issuitably secured to the side of the inclosing casing or box 10, thedetails of the fastenings of said spring not being shown, since suchattachments are common in the art and therefore well understood. Thesleeve 15 is mounted upon a shaft 16 which is concentric with thecylindrical casing 10 and projects through the casing walls at each end.The front end of the shaft extends beyond the said sleeve and isjournaled in the outer wall of a housing 17, secured to the face of thespring box 10 by a flange 18. The said hollow shaft or sleeve 15projects into the cavity of the housing 17 and has mounted thereon agear wheel 19 which meshes with a driving pinion 20, mounted on a shortshaft 21,which has a bearing in the casing wall at the inner end 22,while the forward end projects through the wall of the housing, and isprovided with a winding crank 23. Upon the main shaft 16 Within thehousing 17 is mounted a ratchet Wheel 24, and the teeth of this wheelare engaged by a pawl 25 pivotally mounted on a pin or stud 26 affixedto the sides of the gear wheel 19 mounted upon the adjacent end of thesaid sleeve or tubular 'shaft 15 as mentioned. The said pawl 25 isfurnished with a spring 27 to hold it in engagement with the teeth ofthe ratchet 24. The said ratchet teeth are directed in such .a mannerthat when the crank 23 is turned in one direction to wind the spring 14said pawl will yield on the teeth so that the winding of the'spring willnot affect the shaft 16, but when the spring is released after beingwound, the gear 19 will turn in the opposite direction and the pawl 25will then engage the ratchet teeth and turn the main shaft 16. The rearend of the said main shaft carries a comparatively large gear wheel 28,mounted outside the spring box 10, and this gear meshes with a smallerpinion 29, keyed upon a counter-shaft 30 journaled above the spring box.The gear 28 and pinion 29 are covered with a plate or housing 31,secured to the rear face of the spring box 10 by a flange 32. The saidcountershaft- 30 projects through the housing plate 31 and has mountedupon the extremity a friction gear 33. It will be noted that this wheelis spoked and provided with a comparatively thick and heavy rimY 34,thus adapting the wheel to perform the ofIice of a balance or fly Wheelin addition to its power transmitting function. The periphery of saidgear 33 engages the face of a much smaller friction pinion 35, carriedby a fan spindle 36, journaled in a suitable bearing or box 37, attachedtofa bracket arm 38, mounted upon the spring box 10. This spindle isprovided with a removable head 39 for the attachment of fan blades (notshown), and is adapted to be shifted longitudinally in the box 37. Theprojecting portion when so shifted is adapted to engage the bore of asleeve 40 (Fig. 5) attached to an extension shaft 41, pins 42 serving tosecure the sleeve in position on the spindle. The opposite end of theextension shaft is journaled in one arm of a U- shaped hanger or bracket43. This hanger is intended to be attached to the ceiling, and extendingvertically through a box 44 inthe connecting bar 45 of the hanger is ashaft 46 the lower end being adapted to carry the fan head39. Thehorizontal extension shaft imparts motion through bevel friction gears47, 48, mounted respectively on said extension shaft and the verticalspindle.

The speed of the train of wheels When actuated by the spring isregulated by a friction governor arranged on the rear face of thehousing 31 supported by a casing plate 49, secured to the housing byscrews or rivets 50. This plate has a raised portion 51 forming a recess52 upon the under side which covers the end of the main shaft andextends radially therefrom. Arranged to slide longitudinally in abearing 53 in this recess is a rod 54, having upon its inner end a shoe55 which engages a friction wheel 56, keyed upon the main shaft 16. Thisshoe is provided with a facing 57 of rubber, or other similar material,to form a suitable contact. The outer portion of the rod-54 is supportedin a loop-shaped bracket 58, and furnished -with threads 59 engaged by athumb nut 60 arranged Within the loop,and thus adapted, when turned, toregulate t-he pressure of the shoe 55 against the friction Wheel 56.

For attaching the apparatus to a wall I provide a bracket consisting ofa bar 61 having a marginal flange 62 forming a channel which is coveredin by a top plate 63, the two plates thus arranged being secured' to thewall by screws 64. The outer or top plate is provided With an uppermarginal slot 65 and a lower slot 66, the latter having itslower portion67 contracted, as shown in Fig. 3. The said slots are adapted to beengaged respectively by projections 68, 69, on the casing and base ofthe apparatus, said projections having lateral flanges which interlockwith the margins of the top plate when introduced into their slots and'thus hold the device firmly in position and yet will permit of its readyremoval When desired.

The operation of the apparatus will be readily understood by inspectionof the drawing and reference to the foregoing detailed description ofthe parts. When the spring has been wound by revolving the crank, thespeed will be regulated to suit the special requirements, by turning thethumb nut 60 so as to vary the pressure of the shoe 55 upon the frictionwheel 56. In machines adapted to be manually Wound and with a properlyproportioned spring' the mechanism may be arranged to run an average offrom one to threehours with a single Winding, thus making the portablestyle of device available for all ordinary occasions.

I-Iaving thus described my invention what I claim as new, is

1. In a rotary fan, the combination of a casing containing a suitablemotor, a base 2. In a rotary fan, the combination of a casing containinga suitable motor, a base for the casing adapted to rest upon ahorizontal surface, a bracket adapted to be attached to a suitablesupport and provided with sockets, flanged lugs on said base and casingadapted to removably engage said sockets, a fan spindle journaled onsaid casing, an extension connected therewith, a hanger supporting oneend of said extension and adapted to be attached to a support, a secondspindle journaled in said hanger and friction gearing connecting saidspindles.

3. In a portable rotary fan, the combination of a casing containing asuitable motor, a base for the casing adapted to rest upon a horizontalsurface, a bracket adapted to be attached to a suitable support andprovided With sockets, flanged lugs on said base and casing adapted toremovably engage said sockets, a fan spindle j ournaled on said casing,a hanger supporting one end of said spindle and adapted to be Xed to asupport, an extension for the said spindle and a fan head removablymounted on the spindle.

4l. In a rotary fan, the combination of a casing containing a suitablemotor, a base for the casing adapted to rest upon a hori- Zontalsurface, a bracket adapted to be attached to a suitable support andprovided With sockets, flanged lugs on said base and casing adapted toremovably engage said sockets, a fan spindle journaled on said casing,an extension for said spindle, a hanger supporting one end of saidextension and adapted to be tiXed to a support, a second spindlejournaled in said hanger, friction gearing connecting the extension andsaid second spindle, a fan head removably mounted upon the secondspindle, and means for regulating the speed of the fan spindles.

In testimony whereof I atliX my signature in the presence of twoWitnesses.

LOUIS LEFEBVRE. IVitnesses:

Orres. F. Bnssnr'r, M. A. MrLoRD.

copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

